Teams use teamwork to create and manipulate gigantic puppets
In Puppet Masters teams collect kits and props and then examine and discuss construction instructions. They divide into sub-teams to complete the various parts of the puppet. The puppet is assembled, controls affixed and the puppet decorated. Then the team stand the puppet up with the 9 controllers and work to perform simple human actions.
Teams must intelligently break down each seemingly basic task into achievable steps. To succeed, each team becomes a ‘nerve centre’ controlling a myriad of movements to wow colleagues with an effortless performance.
Puppet Masters is an innovative team building activity that requires all individuals to be involved in strategy and project planning, both when constructing the puppet and manipulating it. It commands keen teamwork, crystalline communication process improvement and operational excellence skillsto make the puppet carry out human actions. But it’s not all serious teamwork enhancement! Imagine the hilarity as each participant takes control of a different body part and attempts to mimic human actions like walking, waving or blowing a kiss. In the finale, the laughs continue as teams make their puppet perform a popular dance move like Gangnam Style, bringing the house down.
The things we learned from Puppet Masters have become an important metaphor for us to use in bringing awareness back to the importance of teamwork and a Walk Your Talk attitude to the team.